Cartist Yatra, a travelling art exhibition, conceptualized by Jaipur-based vintage car restorer and art enthusiast Himanshu Jangid, culminates in Chandigarh after travelling through Indore, Ahmedabad, Goa, Bengaluru, Vishakhapatnam, Bhubaneshwar, Kolkata, Lucknow and Gurugram. The yatra which kicked off on January 9 from Jaipur covered 9100 kilometres and 21 cities. About eight painted cars have been travelling through various cities of India.
Explaining the concept of Cartist, Himanshu Jangid, founder of Cartist said, “We came up with this idea of promoting art through cars. This is our second year and travelling through various Indian cities, we have been able to not just spread the message of love, peace and unity but have also been able to include the local talents and youths into this agenda of ours – uniting India through art and cars.” It was his passion for vintage and classic cars that made Jaipur-based vintage car restorer and art enthusiast to experiment with the concept of moving arts. That was how Cartist – an amalgamation of car and art was born in 2015, which eventually paved the path for the Cartist Yatra, which is in its second year.
The first stop for the Yatra was Ahmedabad, where Cartist was greeted by locals who provided two cars (Herald and Maruti 800) and a motorcycle to be converted into moving artwork. The vintage Herald was coloured in the traditional hues of the tribal Jogi art practised by the Jogi Tribe of Rajasthan, whereas Maruti 800’s artworks depicted the concept of Unity with a reference to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s “Statue of Unity.”
Following which, the Yatra reached Indore, where they began painting a car donated to Cartist Yatra by Arjuna Award and Padmashri winner Deepa Malik, who clinched the silver medal during the Paralympic games. A Contessa was also painted in beautiful textures by the local artists of Indore During the event, Jangid, was even was invited to make a presentation at IIM Indore wherein he explained the concept of Cartist, Cartist Yatra, it’s agenda of propagating unity through art, and all the past experiences of Cartist on this journey of art. It was here that they launched the Sustainable Home and an Art Gallery on Wheels at Indore, in which parts of a scrapped Mercedes was upcycled into pieces of furniture of a sustainable home.
In Goa, they not just painted an Ambassador with artwork but also held a car rally, following which they moved on to Bengaluru and then Visakhapatnam, where they roped in a number of local artists for art workshops. In Bengaluru, the three-day-event was aimed to acquaint people with little idea about automobile painting s on canvas and car. Along with local artists, Bikaner-based artist Shrikant Ranga painted a huge wall at the VR Mall with authentic Indian motifs and textures
In Visakhapathnam, Cartist and its family of artists painted an Innova with colours of unity. About 80 artists participated in live artwork making session. A scrap sculpture was created using 40 bike parts. This sculpture is all set to make it to the Visakhapatnam museum.
After this the next stop was Bhubaneshwar. Pained by the dastardly attack on the CRPF jawans in Pulwama Kashmir, the organizer dedicated this particular city edition of Cartist Yatra to the martyrs. A huge number of artists poured in to pay tribute to the Pulwama martyrs through art and cars. “The cruelty had led to rage and mourning for each and every Indian, so what could have been better than art to help us express ourselves and stand united against this heinous act of terrorism,” said Jangid.
In Kolkata, local artists supported the initiative by painting the wall between Gate number 1 and 2 of EcoPark. “As a token of appreciation, Cartist has taken the initiative of having painted a particular wall of the Park. Keeping the sentiments of the city intact, we have chosen to depict sindoor khela in the wall art. A car Installation will also be gifted to Hidco,” said Jangid.
On reaching Lucknow, Cartist was greeted by enthusiastic artists and locals who participated in the art workshop hosted by Cartist. Following which the Yatra reached Gurugram, where 120 artists participated. “We got an overwhelming response in Gurugram. During this chapter of Cartist, a car was given a facelift by the participating artists who painted the car with a simple message – conserve your nature. A scooter was also painted with typical Indian artwork. A number of artwork of artists like Renu Bala, Nitasha Jaini and many more were put on display.”
After mesmerizing Gurugram, Cartist has finally reached Chandigarh, its final destination. “Here we shall be painting a wall, so that people can recall Cartist with fond memories. Here too a car will be painted, but we are yet to decide on the theme. A lot of local artists are participating and that is like a major moral boost for us,” said Jangid.
Also on display was a vintage Herald coloured in the traditional hues of the tribal Jogi art done by the Jogi Tribe of Rajasthan. Chevrolet with traditional Rajasthani Art, Ambassador with Gond Art, Auto rickshaw with truck art and Cobra was on display.
Also displayed was Maruti Ritz car, which had been painted in Goa. The car had been donated by Deepa Malik to Cartist Yatra. A hundred artists participated in the event and created mesmerizing artworks on the automobile theme. Also on display will be a Beetle made out of 200 scrap tyres, wired frame scooter and a huge collection of Paintings, wired sculptures and other sculptures.
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